Black Dove
by SelahSpinshadow
Summary: Hisoka is missing and now the other shinigami are desperate to find him. [JA2]
1. The Seventh Day

  
**Author's Note:** If you haven't read the first four parts of "Lost in Jade," go do that now. "Black Dove" is a companion fic and should always be read SECOND for any given pair of days. Though chances are that won't be much of a problem while I'm still updating. ¬_¬   
**Warnings:** Angst, TsuxTouda, liberal abuse of characterization - I couldn't help it. I haven't read GenSouKai Arc, so this could all be horribly wrong, but...it seemed to fit? Well, it fit what I needed at any rate.... If I've totally ruined things . . . _gomennasai_.   
**Disclaimer:** _Yami no Matsuei_ is the property of Matsushita Yoko - I'm just borrowing a few things. The plot is all mine though...as far as I know, anyway. Well, okay, so the inspiration to actually go TsuxTouda came from reading comments from people at S-C.net's forum. I can be so easily influenced. v_v   
**Language Note:** _shikai no hakaisha_: destroyer of worlds   
  


* * *

**Black Dove**   
_I. The Seventh Day_

  
A week. An entire week since his partner had vanished, and they were no closer to finding Hisoka than they had been when he first went missing.   
"This is intolerable. This is insane. This is . . . this is . . . AHHHH! I'm going to KILL Muraki!!"   
Tsuzuki Asato was obviously losing his grip. Not that anyone could really blame him. The Kagami case was supposed to be a fairly simple retrieval. They should have been on their way back to Meifu that Sunday, the case closed. Instead, the case had been set aside because his partner was suddenly just . . . gone. Despite every effort, they still hadn't found more than a trace of Hisoka. Each such trace had lead him in a different direction and while Tsuzuki had already confronted the doctor a half-dozen times in his wild chases from one end of the 2nd Block to the other, he had yet to find his partner. He'd even tried a tracking dove, but she still hadn't come back. The other _shinigami_ were keeping an eye open in their districts, but that hadn't been very helpful either.   
"Tsuzuki-san, try to stay calm. . . ."   
"Stay calm? Tatsumi, that . . . that maniac has had Hisoka for an entire WEEK now! And you expect me to stay CALM?!?!?!?"   
"He takes Bon because it makes you act irrationally. Predictably, but irrationally," Watari interjected. "You're doing exactly what he wants you to do, Tsuzuki - running all over Kyuushuu, following Muraki like . . . like. . . ."   
"Like a dog follows his master."   
Tsuzuki's mouth was moving, but no words were coming out. He couldn't believe that Tatsumi had just called him Muraki's lap dog! From the shocked look on Watari's and Wakaba's faces, they couldn't believe it either.   
"Tatsumi-san, don't you think that was a little mean?" Wakaba asked quietly.   
"Watari-san is right; as long as you do what he expects, Tsuzuki-san, Muraki will keep running you in circles. Without your tracking bird, we must find a new method of finding Kurosaki-kun."   
Tsuzuki was about to argue more when a tiny white dove flapped into the briefing room and all but collapsed on his shoulder.   
"You were saying, Tatsumi-san?" Watari smirked.   
"That's not his bird," the secretary replied coolly.   
"Eh? _Anou_ . . . she does look a little smaller than your usual birds. . . ."   
"He's right," Tsuzuki sighed in defeat. "She's not mine. But . . . if she's not mine . . . then she must be Hisoka's!"   
"_Demo_, Tsuzuki-san, why would he need to track you? And wouldn't she have gone back to him then?"   
"_Aa_, but summoned birds can do much, much more than just track a person, Wakaba-chan," he explained with a wink and a grin. "_Demo_ . . . there's no note. What could be your mission, hmm, little one?"   
The white dove weakly nuzzled his finger before poking her head under one wing and falling asleep. It was such strange behavior that Tsuzuki couldn't help but watch her, fascinated. It wasn't until Watari carefully scooped her off his shoulder and set her next to 003 that he realized Tatsumi had been trying to get his attention.   
"Tsuzuki, it is time," he said quietly. "Summon SohRyu-sama. I only hope he can help us. . . ."   
"_Demo_, summon him _outside_, ne?" Watari teased lightly, but the seriousness in his eyes gave away his concern. Tsuzuki smiled faintly, then ran outside to the stand of _sakura_ in front of Juuohcho. Tatsumi had only asked for SohRyu, but he had other plans.   
"_I bow before the twelve gods who watch over me. Keeper of stars, reader of fate. Appear before me RIKUGOU!_"   
"Ah, Tsuzuki-sensei, too kind," the astrologer _shikigami_ said with a warm smile, bowing.   
"I have my ulterior motives," he replied with a wink, pausing momentarily to watch Rikugou stare in wonder at the _sakura_ dappled in the warm light of the sunset. One might almost think the astrologer had never seen such things before. While such could hardly be said to be true, Tsuzuki did have to admit that he rarely summoned the _shikigami_; perhaps it was simple fascination with the worlds beyond GenSouKai.   
"_I humbly pray to the twelve gods who bow before me. Blue light, frozen armor, icy wrath. Lord of the East, I seek your aid. Come before me SOHRYU!_"   
The blue dragon of the East appeared in a blast of frozen wind, then shifted abruptly to his human form, bowing his head ever so slightly in deference to Tsuzuki's power. Though he had commanded SohRyu's loyalty for many years, the dragon lord's acknowledgment of that fact always made him blush.   
"_Anou_," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "Tatsumi-san asked me to summon you, SohRyu-sama. Would you tell him that I'll be in in a minute?"   
"But of course," the blue-haired warrior murmured, entering Juuohcho with a very wide-eyed Rikugou in tow. Tsuzuki watched them leaving, waiting until he was certain they couldn't hear him before offering one last prayer: "_I call upon the twelve gods who protect me. Black flame rise at the serpant's command. Appear before me TOUDA!_"   
The translucent image of a black serpent appeared in an equally false pillar of black flames, images that flickered and vanished as Touda knelt before his master with a bowed head.   
"I am yours to command, master," he intoned as he always did when summoned in human form, a ritual show of submission that failed to appear at all humble. But at that moment, Tsuzuki didn't care about tradition or ritual or Touda's loyalties. Hauling Touda to his feet, he kissed the man sharply, a desperate act of possession. It didn't last and before Touda had a chance to react, Tsuzuki had already released him, turning away from the other man. He had never done that before and now that he had, he could not for the life (or second-life) of him figure out _why_ he'd done it.   
"Tsuzuki-sama. . . ."   
"No, forget it, you're right, I'm sorry."   
"Are you sending me back to GenSouKai then, _sensei_?"   
"I . . . leave that to you. Go if you wish. Or stay, if that is what you want."   
"Then . . . I will stay until you order me to leave, _sensei_," he said quietly. Tsuzuki nodded, still not meeting Touda's visored gaze as he walked back into the building. He paused at the door to the Shokan Division's briefing room - SohRyu would not be happy - then gathered his strength and strode into the room. As expected, a dark cloud seemed to suddenly appear around SohRyu as the dragon lord caught sight of Touda.   
"What is _he_ doing here?"   
"I summoned him, of course," Tsuzuki replied, immediately regretting his glib response as SohRyu glowered at him. He stumbled backwards into Touda's solid presence, momentarily thankful for the _shikigami_'s stubborn refusal to back down before the dragon lord since it was all that had kept him from landing in an ungraceful heap on the floor. The steadying hand at his elbow, however, was more than he had expected. The gesture did not, unfortunately, go unnoticed by SohRyu.   
"So _now_ you bother to care for our master?"   
"SohRyu-sama," Rikugou murmured placatingly from his seat beside the now standing Celestial Guardian of the East.   
"I have always served him as he wished," Touda replied in icy tones. The rebuke in the snake _shikigami_'s tone was no less present for all that he did not actually put it into words; that the other _shikigami_ had no call to question _him_ because they did not like their _master's_ choice, however fleeting it had turned out to be.   
"Get out of my sight, _shikai no hakaisha_," the dragon lord rumbled, clearly expecting to be obeyed.   
"He stays," Tsuzuki said firmly, even though he wasn't entirely sure why. The death-glare SohRyu turned on him for daring to contradict him almost sent him into hiding, but he stood firm. Just this once, he wasn't going to let the dragon god overrule him, for Touda's sake. For a moment, he wasn't sure that he could outlast SohRyu, then the dragon lord's eyes closed and he bowed his head.   
"As you wish," the _shikigami_ murmured in barely audible tones, sinking into his seat once more.   
"Now that we are all here," Tatsumi said after another moment of uneasy silence, "perhaps we could begin. Tsuzuki-san?"   
"_Anou . . . gomen_," he mumbled, sitting at the opposite end of the table from his own _shikigami_, Touda taking the seat beside him. "Where should I start?"   
"The beginning is often good," SohRyu rumbled dryly, obviously still not pleased about Touda's presence.   
"_Aa_, SohRyu-sama!" Rikugou cried out, daring to swat at one arm. "Stop being so unpleasant. Tsuzuki-sensei is having enough trouble as it is with his partner missing and Muraki-san being the kidnapper."   
"How did you. . . ?"   
"What? The boy is missing??"   
"_Hai_. That's why I was asked to summon you, SohRyu-sama. It's been a week now an-"   
"A week?!?" the blue-haired warrior yelled as he surged to his feet. "That madman has held that boy for an entire _week_ and you're only _NOW_ asking for my aid? Tsuzuki Asato, I have known you to do a great many foolish, thoughtless things, but this. . . . Where is your brain, boy! You should have informed us immediately! We knew you were upset, but this . . . Asato, you should have trusted me!"   
Tsuzuki sat in wide-eyed shock; he had not anticipated SohRyu becoming _angry_ about the kidnaping, and certainly not at the fact that he hadn't been told sooner. If anything, he had thought the dragon lord didn't care for his newest partner. The thought that the powerful _shikigami_ would be able - or even want - to help him find Hisoka had simply never occurred to him. Fresh guilt welled up at his own negilence; how much had Hisoka suffered because he hadn't sought SohRyu's aid sooner?   
Under the cover of the tabletop, Touda discreetly rested a hand on his leg just above the knee. The soothing motion of the _shikigami_'s fingers rhythmically digging into his thigh brushed aside the gnawing worry that everyone in the room was angry with him, blaming him for not acting sooner. He drew from Touda's strength, grateful that he had insisted that the _shikigami_ be allowed to stay. He would have to thank Touda later, though he half suspected the other man would brush it off as doing nothing more than was required.   
"Enough, SohRyu-sama," Touda murmured, surprising the rest of the room by speaking at all. "Yelling only makes him feel even more guilty and does not bring the boy back. He heaps enough guilt upon his head without you adding to it, _jiisan_. You don't know that he even knows where his partner is being held."   
Shocked silence greeted Touda's words; it was quite likely the most he had ever said at one time to anyone save Tsuzuki himself. And probably the most respect he had ever shown SohRyu.   
"Finding Bon is the problem," Watari sighed, gesturing to the tiny dove nestled against 003. "Tsuzuki's tracking bird still hasn't returned. We believe this one is from Bon, but we have no way of knowing for sure or even why she's here."   
"Suzaku would be the better choice to read the bird's heart."   
"But she does not have your wisdom, SohRyu-sama," Watari replied simply.   
"True. And what do you mean his bird hasn't returned?"   
"Just what he said. She hasn't returned. She still lives . . . somewhere. I've chased Muraki from one end of the 2nd Block to the other, and I still haven't found more than a trace of Hisoka. I don't understand it. How can mine have not found him if his could find me?"   
"Let's find out, shall we?"   
With infinite care, SohRyu scooped up the tiny dove with both hands. She awoke immediately, fluttering against his hands weakly for a moment before settling, apparently resigned to being held. Tsuzuki watched the celestial guardian with the bird, surprised to realize that Touda's hand was still on his leg. Leaning back to drop his hands into his lap, he then covered Touda's hand with one of his own, silently thanking the _shikigami_ for his support. A final squeeze and the hand withdrew.   
"She was sent to find you and bring you back to Kurosaki-kun," SohRyu said suddenly, "but she's lost his trace. She can't even revert back to him."   
"How . . . how is that possible?"   
"It shouldn't be," Rikugou said with a frown, "but it fits. The stellar oracle said the results were unclear and would tell me nothing useful of where Hisoka-san was being held. As if it couldn't get a clear reading on him."   
"So that's how you knew," SohRyu mused. "Clearly, his magic has been almost completely neutralized, or else he would have returned by now. But no known _fuda_ barrier could continue to block your bird, Tsuzuki, while allowing this one to escape. . . ."   
"What if it isn't a traditional barrier?" Watari asked, matching Rikugou's thoughtful frown with one of his own.   
"What are you proposing?"   
"Well, the birds track us by our auras; losing the trace would suggest that there's been a significant disruption in the aura, yes?"   
"Correct."   
"So what if Bon's magic is being neutralized by something other than a barrier?"   
"Like what?" Tsuzuki asked, his worry increasing yet again as he thought of the implications. "Muraki's already cursed him once. He can't do it again . . . can he?"   
"_Anou_ . . . Bon won't let me study the curse fully, but I _do_ know it's largely dormant. A skilled practioner could fit one more spell on him, though probably not more than that. But Muraki would only need one to bottle up Bon's magic."   
"One curse could block his ability to return to Meifu, eliminate his defense, disrupt his aura, hold him captive . . . and yet still allow him to summon a tracking dove? That . . . doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense, Watari."   
"_Anou_, summoned creatures are not my area, Tsuzuki, you know that. When did you teach Hisoka the _fuda_ to summon one, anyway? I didn't realize he had trained his powers enough to work at such a high level of magic."   
"I haven't yet; there hasn't been the time and learning summoning takes so long. . . . I just gave him a few special ofuda and the activation char- . . . oh. . . ."   
"So with the right activation charm, even someone without magic could summon one of your birds?"   
"_Hai_. It . . . seemed like a good quick fix, until I had the time to teach him. . . ."   
"Well," Rikugou chuckled, "it looks like it's a good thing you hadn't gotten around to teaching him yet, _sensei_. Otherwise we wouldn't even have the bird."   
"Rikugou-san," Tatsumi suddenly interjected, "you said the stellar oracle would tell you nothing 'useful' about Kurosaki-kun's location. What _would_ it tell you?"   
"Well, that he was safe, to start. I cannot say with certainty, but I don't believe he is currently in Muraki's possession."   
"That's ridiculous!" Tsuzuki declared in frustration. "If Muraki wasn't holding him, then he'd be back!"   
"_Aa_, Tsuzuki-sensei, you forget . . . if his magic has been nullified through the means of a curse, then it wouldn't matter if Muraki was holding him or not."   
"He's got a point. Muraki could have even released him if he discovered that you couldn't find him anymore. If Bon's no good as bait. . . ."   
"You must understand, _sensei_, that the oracle has a peculiar way of working. It doesn't use words to speak to me as I am now speaking to you, but rather a combination of words, images, and impressions. I _know_ that he's safe, so I am assuming he is not under Muraki's direct power. I saw an image of gardens, but there was no context - at this time of year, they could have been almost anywhere. A sense of power, safety, peace, goodwill . . . _someone_ is looking after him, but the who remains shrouded in mystery. An image of a sword, but it could mean any of a number of things. The oracle tells me much, but the value of those whispers. . . ."   
Rikugou trailed off with a helpless shrug. Keenly feeling his own frustration, Tsuzuki sighed and collapsed back into his chair once more.   
"So . . . what do we do? If his magic is nullified and his aura disrupted . . . how do we find him?"   
Rikugou and SohRyu exchanged a quick glance, the astrologer nodding at some unspoken comment.   
"Give us two days, _sensei_," Rikugou said with a genuinely warm smile. "We should at least have a true lead on him by then."   
"Two days? You . . . you want me to wait two more _days_?"   
"_Anou_ . . . I sympathize, _sensei_, truly," the astrologer _shikigami_ murmured. "I promise you, we will do everything we can to bring him back as swiftly as possible. He _is_ safe, of that much I can assure you. Ignore Muraki-san. In fact, stay here in Meifu. It's not like there's anything else you can do just yet."   
"But. . . ."   
"You'll know if there's anything any of you can do to assist us," SohRyu intoned with finality. "Now, if you'll excuse us. . . ."   
The dismissal in the dragon _shikigami_'s tone was quite clear. When neither he nor Rikugou made any move to leave, instead remaining seated and watching the _shinigami_ with pointed and amused gazes respectively, Tatsumi coughed and proceeded to herd Watari out of the room. Tsuzuki was about to follow when he heard a soft cough from SohRyu.   
"Touda, stay a moment. . . ."   
It was a request he had never thought to hear from the disapproving dragon lord and it froze Tsuzuki in his tracks. He could tell from the look on SohRyu's face that, whatever he meant to say to Touda, he wouldn't speak until Tsuzuki actually left the room. That worried him; it was no secret that the guardian of the east did not like the snake _shikigami_. Indeed, the dislike was quite mutual.   
"Would it help if I promised I won't allow them to kill each other, Tsuzuki-sensei?" Rikugou joked.   
"It might," he replied with a grin of his own.   
"Tsuzuki. . . ."   
"_Hai, hai_, I'm going," he sighed, quickly retreating to the office he usually shared with Hisoka. He hated feeling so helpless, but . . . there was really nothing left for him to do. He was simply going to have to trust his _shikigami_. 


	2. Slight of Hand

  
**Author's Note:** Still day...oh, let's call it Day J-4, else I'll get all confused. So if you haven't read at least through chapter four of "Lost in Jade" by now, you're going to be confused. I'll be addressing reviews at the end of this, so if you left questions, that's the place to look.   
Also, I'm aware that the idiom is "sleight of hand" and the title of this chapter is not a spelling error. Now see if you can figure out why. ~_^   
NOTE: This is now the expanded version of chatper 2   
**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Lost in Jade" and Kyoto Arc. Angst, TsuxTouda, more of the _shikigami_ being characterized however I feel fits them and my needs, and Touda being, well, himself.   
**Disclaimer:** _Yami no Matsuei_ is the property of Matsushita Yoko - I'm just borrowing a few things. The plot is all mine though.   
**Language Note:** _oibore_ - (derog.) old man   
  


* * *

**Black Dove**   
_II. Slight of Hand_

  
Touda watched his master leave the briefing room, waiting for the door to actually click shut before turning his visored gaze back to SohRyu. Tsuzuki had every right to be concerned - were they in GenSouKai, it would have been almost certain that this meeting would have ended in combat. But they were not in GenSouKai and neither _shikigami_ wished to saddle their master with yet more debt for damages to Juuohcho.   
"What do you want, SohRyu?"   
"I think I liked you better when you were pretending to know the meaning of respect. . . ."   
"Get on with it already, _oibore_."   
"Why you --!"   
"_AHEM_. The reason we asked you to stay back is that we need you to work with us."   
"Me? What do you need from me?"   
"Nothing much. In fact, if Tsuzuki-sensei hadn't insisted on you staying, we wouldn't even be asking this much."   
"Rikugou, you're as bad as your oracle. Stop talking in circles and get to the point!"   
"Tsuzuki is a worrier by nature," SohRyu said dispassionately. "Since he seems to have some fondness for you for _some_ reason . . . keep him occupied. I don't care how, just keep him distracted. If he sends you back to GenSouKai, so be it. Until then, keep him from worrying about the boy and above all else, keep him here, in Meifu."   
"Unless he wants to go to GenSouKai," Rikugou added. "In fact, you could even suggest it to him. He might be happier there. Or at least less prone to worry. But really, the means of distraction is up to you."   
"And what will you do? Don't tell me you have a secret way of tracking this boy that takes two whole days to accomplish it's miracle. . . ."   
"You are as much on a need to know basis as the _shinigami_, Touda, and you don't need to know," SohRyu said with cold finality. Or rather, with what any other _shikigami_ interested in staying alive would take to be a tone of finality. Touda, however, wasn't nearly so afraid of the blue-haired dragon lord.   
"You're just going to wait and hope for the best, aren't you? You lied to him. . . ."   
"I did nothing of the sort!" Rikugou exclaimed in outrage. "The oracle can't stay clouded forever. Besides, if all else fails, we can have the dove take us back to where she lost the trace and backtrack from there."   
"The two of you? Right. Like a greater blue dragon and a man with eyes in his _palms_ can walk around Chijou without being noticed. . . ."   
"You would hardly make a better choice, hellsnake," SohRyu muttered, uncharacteristically snappish; perhaps their master's stress was finally getting to the formerly implacable _shikigami_. "IF it should come to that, Kouchin can be summoned to hunt the bird's trail.   
"Now, if you are quite finished, I believe you have an assignment of your own. . . ."   
"Hmph. I'll keep him occupied, but not for _you_, SohRyu."   
Touda was actually surprised to see Tsuzuki wasn't waiting outside the briefing room. Tracking him was easy enough though, and in hind sight, he supposed he shouldn't've been surprised to find him in the office he shared with the boy.   
"_Sensei_. . . ."   
"No injuries?" his violet-eyed master mused, head tilted to one side in open curiosity; from anyone else, Touda wouldn't have tolerated such interest. "What did they want anyway?"   
"To insult my intelligence," he grumbled, looking around the office. It was, to put it mildly, a disaster area. Paperwork was stacked across both desks, the remnants of a half-eaten lunch trying to hide between the stacks. Notes from what appeared to be an abandoned case were tacked to the workboard, but Tsuzuki was paying them no attention, his focus fixed rather steadily on Touda.   
"Thank you for earlier," Tsuzuki murmured after another moment of silence. "You didn't have to speak for me."   
"It was only proper; you _are_ my master. But don't think I'd do that for anyone else."   
"Of course not. . . ."   
Another uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Touda had agreed to keep Tsuzuki distracted, but he didn't really know how to go about it. He had never been one for the social company of others and uncounted millenia imprisoned within Tenkuu had done nothing to make him more inclined towards socializing with anyone. But Tsuzuki was different. Special. No other could have arranged for his freedom, though Tsuzuki had once argued that Touda was anything but free. Perhaps the _shinigami_ had the right of it, but then again, what right did someone such as himself have of freedom?   
_Shikai no hakaisha_. Destroyer of worlds. He would have killed Tsuzuki in Kyoto, though it would have been the end of what freedom he had, because that was what his master had sought. The others did not understand, thought him heartless. They were fools, the lot of them. Touda would always serve Tsuzuki without question; it was nothing less than what his unlikely master had earned, nothing less than what he deserved for buying Touda's freedom.   
"If you're just going to stand there and glare at things, you might as well go back to GenSouKai," Tsuzuki murmured, interrupting Touda's chain of thought.   
"Are you ordering me back then, _sensei_?" he asked quietly in response, surprised to see amethyst eyes sliding away from his when he turned towards his master.   
". . . no. . . ."   
"I said I would remain until you ordered me to leave," he reminded the man quietly. "I do not break my word."   
"If SohRyu were here, he would undoubtedly call you a liar," Tsuzuki murmured with a weak smile.   
"Perhaps," Touda conceded, "but he is not here."   
"No . . . he's not . . . and I'm glad for that."   
Yet another uneasy silence. Touda wondered if he shouldn't just suggest they both go to GenSouKai and leave his master in Suzaku's care. She would coddle him, of course, but he had to wonder if that wasn't the sort of attention Tsuzuki needed.   
"_Sensei_ . . . perhaps we should go somewhere else. SohRyu will contact you if there is anything you can do to assist them and in the mean time . . . there is no reason to remain here where you are reminded of your failure to find the boy."   
"Not that it really matters _where_ I go, since you'll be able to remind me anyway," Tsuzuki snapped back.   
"If my company is so unwelcome, _sensei_, then order me back to GenSouKai!" he snapped back in irritation. This was not going the way he had intended.   
"I . . . fine!"   
Touda blinked behind his visor, waiting, but Tsuzuki neither looked at him nor said another word. Had he actually been ordered back or not? He couldn't tell.   
"Return with me," he said quietly, surprising even himself. "The peace would be good for you. And Suzaku is far better company than I."   
"You would say even Tenkuu was better company," the violet-eyed _shinigami_ murmured, still not meeting his gaze.   
"And it would be the truth," Touda replied in complete seriousness. "Will you return with me?"   
"I . . . guess I have no reason not to. . . . Go ahead and I . . . I'll follow. . . ."   
Touda was silently thankful for the visor that hid his narrowed eyes as he studied Tsuzuki thoughtfully. He wasn't entirely sure the _shinigami_ would follow, but he had little choice in the matter. He would simply have to trust Tsuzuki to keep his word.   
As it was in Meifu, so it was dusk in GenSouKai, a crisp spring breeze fluttering through the trees. No one was waiting for them, but the sounds of scuffling feet made it clear that someone was coming. Undoubtedly Tenkuu's doing, and a sign that Tsuzuki had indeed followed him. Who would care to come and greet him?   
"Tsuzuki-niisan!"   
Touda ruthlessly suppressed the urge to smile as Tenkou pounced Tsuzuki with an enthusiastic hug.   
"Tenkou, isn't it a bit late for you to be up?"   
"_Hai_, but Daddy isn't here, so. . . . Besides, _you're_ here!" she replied, giggling as she hugged the bewildered man again. Time for him to come to his master's rescue once more. If this continued, he was going to run the risk of ruining his own reputation.   
"Go on, Tenkou, and find Suzaku. Then get to bed."   
The childlike _shikigami_ stared up at him with wide eyes for a moment, obviously surprised that Touda had said anything at all. He frowned and with a yip, she scampered back into the palace.   
"You scared her," Tsuzuki commented, mildly reproaching.   
"So?" he asked, shrugging slightly, offering Tsuzuki a hand up. The _shinigami_ shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet, chuckling ever so softly. Seeing that his hand was being ignored, Touda retracted it, a faint noise of annoyance escaping him.   
"Tsuzuki Asato! How dare you summon him and not _me_! Again!"   
"I was what he needed, not you, Suzaku. SohRyu yelled at him enough for the both of you."   
"As if I would do such a thing!"   
"Aren't you yelling right now?" he replied mildly, crossing his arms over his chest. The fiery red-headed _shikigami_ glared death at him, but that was no new development. He despised the way she coddled their master and she couldn't tolerate his cold mannerisms. And of course she refused to forgive him for nearly killing Tsuzuki in Kyoto, regardless that he had been following their master's orders at the time.   
"Please, both of you. . . ."   
"But Tsuzuki . . . you summoned Rikugou and SohRyu and then . . . _him_? Why? Why did you wait so long to ask for our help?"   
"Because . . . because Hisoka's missing and I . . . I haven't been able to find him, no matter how hard I tried," Tsuzuki confessed, his voice cracking either from stress or guilt. Probably equal measures of both, but now that he was with Suzaku, there was no reason for Touda to linger. Not that the palace halls were any more comfortable; Tenkuu had quite the list of grievances against him and in his stodgy building fashion, he adamantly refused to forgive Touda for any of them, most especially not for managing to get himself freed.   
"Touda! Touda, wait!"   
Byakko. He had no interest in what the lazy tiger _shikigami_ could possibly want from him, so he kept walking, making his methodical way towards the stairs that would take him to the roof. Unfortunately, the wind god seemed quite intent on catching him.   
"Touda! Didn't you hear me?"   
"I heard you, I just didn't care."   
"Oh, well, um, what did he want? I mean, it's pretty weird, calling Rikugou and SohRyu and then summoning you."   
"He wanted me to play bridge with him," Touda sneered. "What do you _think_ he wanted?"   
"Ne, you don't have to be so snarky about it."   
"Look, if you want to know, why don't you just _ask him_? He's with Suzaku."   
"You could be a little nicer, you know. . . ."   
"Why bother? Leave me alone, cat."   
"Such a lonely life you lead. A person could almost feel sorry for you . . . if you weren't such a cold-hearted bastard."   
Touda ignored the other _shikigami_, single-minded in his retreat to the palace roof. The roof was his domain, a place of solitude from which he could see into nearly the entire palace complex, depending on where he sat. The one place in the entire palace that he could be assured that he would not be frivolously disturbed. The one place where he could be assured some measure of peace, no matter how undeserving of such he might be.   
It was full night by the time Touda reached his preferred perch, the garden paths lit by the gentle yellow glow of torches, a warm light that failed to reach even to the tops of the trees. The breeze carried the faint scent of sakura blossoms as it whispered past, along with a hint of fresh spring greenery and the promise of rain later. But the sky was perfectly clear as he gazed out over the land, the rooftops silvered with the light of the nearly full moon. It was an illusion, like the countless stars that dotted the black bowl of the night sky, though he couldn't remember precisely what it was supposed to symbolize. He had been told that each star was a human life, or perhaps merely a computer terminal, but the waxing and waning moon? Perhaps it was merely a construct of their own design, but to what end? Such a thing would only be a comfort to a human who was used to seeing it and no humans lived in GenSouKai. Or perhaps it symbolized some intrinsic yet ever-changing element of the virtual world. He didn't know.   
"You must truly hate me."   
Touda jerked around in a tight circle, towards the source of the intruding voice. He was more than a little surprised that anyone had bothered to seek him out. Then again, it _was_ Tsuzuki. A Tsuzuki who looked far more . . . poised than he had all evening.   
"I mean, really. First you send Tenkou running to tell Suzaku that I'm here and then, as if that wasn't enough, you throw Byakko at me as well. Are you really that unhappy with me as your master? Because if you are, maybe you should look for a new one. Hisoka could probably use your strength right now. . . ."   
"I will serve no other, not even at your command, for the rest of your days," he vowed sharply as he rose to his feet. Tsuzuki stood his ground as he drew closer, amethyst eyes hardened with something Touda couldn't define.   
"Then why? Why set them upon me?"   
Touda tried to respond . . . and found himself speechless. Had he actually been motivated by something more than a desire to be away from Tsuzuki's broken emotions? He knew himself well enough to know that he did not handle such emotional displays well, but was that all? Or was there something more? Faced with a direct question, he was disturbed to find that he didn't know the answer. While he could not admit such a thing to his master, neither could he lie to the man.   
"Well?"   
"I . . . thought she was what you needed. I'm surprised she let you go. . . ."   
"Even the mighty Suzaku needs to sleep sometimes. As for Byakko . . . I told him I needed to sleep," Tsuzuki replied with a casual shrug. But the intensity in his eyes belied his careless tone.   
"Lying to your own _shikigami_ now, _sensei_?" Touda asked, a faint smile brushing at the corner of his mouth inspite of himself.   
"I'll sleep soon enough," he replied with another shrug. "What about you? Planning to spend the whole night up here?"   
"It wouldn't be the first time."   
"They hate you that much?" Tsuzuki murmured, a genuinely sad look touching his eyes as one hand reached out to brush fleetingly against Touda's cheek.   
Touda said nothing as he turned away; there was nothing _to_ say. Tsuzuki knew even better than he did how strenuously the other _shikigami_ had objected to his release, knew all too well what requirements had been forced upon him as part of his freedom. A freedom that was as fleeting as the breath of a single man who had refused to take no for an answer. And they hated him all the more for doing everything he could to honor and obey Tsuzuki? Could those fools not see that, had he succeeded in killing their master, it would have been the end of his freedom, if not his very life? Yet still they questioned. . . .   
"Like calling to like, you and I," Tsuzuki murmured. "Dark and brooding, with a power they fear and despise."   
"So it is. . . ."   
"It's not good to always be alone."   
"There are worse things to be. . . ."   
Tsuzuki laughed then, a quiet sound that floated on the night air even as it tried not to carry. It didn't last; there was too much weighing down the man's spirit.   
"I suppose there are at that. And being with me is probably one of them, so I'll say good night. Don't forget to get some sleep yourself, Touda."   
Touda turned back to watch Tsuzuki walking away, contrarily annoyed that the man was leaving so easily. That was not the fighting spirit that had reached out to him in the deepest dungeons of Tenkuu, nor the persistence that had promised to free him from his eternal prison. Did the boy really mean that much to him? Or were these deeper wounds, only aggrevated by his inability to find his partner? Touda could only stand and wonder. . . .   
_And this is any more like _you_, just watching him walk away?_   
"_Sensei_. . . ."   
Tsuzuki paused at the top of the stairs, but didn't turn around, even as Touda drew closer.   
"_Sensei_ . . . why _did_ you summon me? I offer little enough in the search for your partner. . . ."   
"You know, at the time, I didn't know. . . . But . . . you were right. You were what I needed. Your strength, your confidence . . . and maybe even your arrogance."   
"A kiss for arrogan   
"_Aa_ . . . that. . . . No, that was different. . . ."   
"Dominance, knowing I couldn't protest?" Touda asked quietly.   
"No!" Tsuzuki declared hotly as he spun round to glare at him, surprising him with the anger in those amethyst eyes. As if . . . as if Touda's words had offended him somehow. While it wouldn't be the first time something he had said had offended someone, Tsuzuki had never looked him that way.   
"I would never . . . well, I _did_ . . . but never again without your consent!"   
"What does a servant's desires mean to his master?"   
"You expect me to believe that is how you see yourself?"   
"You _are_ my master, Tsuzuki Asato. I am bound to serve you and obey you in all things, without question. Failure is to be imprisoned once more. But I would no more fail you than I would serve another. . . ."   
Touda suspected he knew what had brought Tsuzuki to the roof, but he had no proof and without that . . . it was a calculated risk, but he wasn't the sort to just let someone walk away. Careful of the armored claws that extended from his bracers, he pulled Tsuzuki closer, until only bare centimeters separated them. The other man's breath tingled against his lips and he could feel a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.   
"If there was something you wanted, _sensei_," he whispered, the words taunting his master if the slight tremor was any indication, "then take it."   
Something in those shimmering violet depths clicked into place and the space between them vanished as Tsuzuki claimed his mouth in another hungry kiss, hands clenching on his arms possessively. He could taste the desperation and the longing, that unbridled desire almost as potent an aphrodisiac as the dark power that lurked within his master, calling out to him.   
It was Tsuzuki who broke away first, his hands dropping to his sides and his eyes closing as he rested his forehead against Touda's.   
"No . . . not if this isn't what you want. . . ."   
Touda shifted his right hand from Tsuzuki's neck to cup the back of the man's head, claws extending past his fingers momentarily in a silent reminder that Touda could withdraw at any time, if he so chose. He adjusted his own position minutely, kissing Tsuzuki's forehead before sliding his other hand down to the other man's waist, drawing the _shinigami_ against him. For a moment Tsuzuki simply leaned against him, a weary sigh echoing up from him.   
"Perhaps if you rested first. . . . You have a room?"   
"Somewhere. No idea where, though. I think I'd rather stay with you anyway."   
Touda caught himself smiling again; he'd done that more since Tsuzuki had summoned him than he had in years and it felt at once both strange and completely natural. Normally he would have spent the night on the roof, napping as needed. But with Tsuzuki to consider . . . he _did_ have his own apartment, rarely used as it was.   
"If you expect me to carry you. . . ."   
"Of course not," Tsuzuki replied as he straightened, smiling tiredly. "But you _will_ have to lead the way."   
Resisting the urge to smile yet again, Touda silently led his master through the slumbering halls of Tenkuu to his apartment. An unremarkable yet luxurious antechamber led to an equally unpersonalized bedroom of fine screens and black wood furnishings. Tsuzuki's arms wrapped around his waist from behind, sighing as he rested his chin against his unarmored shoulder.   
"I suppose I'm not surprised," the _shinigami_ murmured, his breath warm on Touda's cheek. "Sleep beside me? Be a shame to waste such a fine bed. . . ."   
"If you wish, _sensei_," he replied, though he had been intending to sleep on the floor. In hindsight, he should have known better.   
Hesitant fingers tugged and probed at the restraints that had become such a part of Touda's current existence, seeking out the latches and clasps that would release the armor. He so rarely removed more than a few of the more heavily armored sections that it took him a moment to realize what Tsuzuki was doing.   
"_Sensei_. . . ."   
"You can't sleep in all of this," Tsuzuki interrupted as he succeeded in slipping off the bone pauldron, his fingers lingering longer than strictly necessary on Touda's shoulder. "There's no reason for it. And no reason I can't help you."   
"_Sensei_," he sighed, trying to protest his master's insistence upon undressing him, but Tsuzuki would not be discouraged. Rather than be handled, he tried to shrug off Tsuzuki's hands, carefully undoing the numerous latches and buckles for his claws and bracers. It was something of a labor-intensive process and by the time he had removed both the armorments and the protective gloves beneath, he was surprised to find himself in only his long tunic and undergarments, curious fingers probing at his visor. Touda had been so focused on his task that he hadn't even noticed Tsuzuki removing his boots.   
The visor. If that was removed, he really _would_ have full control of his powers once more. Already he could feel the magic within him burning more strongly than it had since his imprisonment. He would have the power to burn Tenkuu to the ground, to take revenge on all those who had lashed out at him since his release. He had sworn not to use his powers unless ordered by Tsuzuki, but without the visor . . . the temptation would be too strong.   
"_Sensei_," he murmured once more, reaching up to pull Tsuzuki's hands away from the visor, "you mustn't."   
"I want to see _you_, Touda . . . not this mark of slavery."   
"Without it . . . even I am not immune to temptation," he said quietly, turning to face Tsuzuki. His master frowned up at him with troubled eyes, the fear of failure dancing in them once more. Touda knew that look, remembered it as the first thing he had seen through visored eyes.   
"I wanted for you to be free," Tsuzuki sighed, repeating his words from that day as he touched the visor hesitantly, tracing the curve of the metal edge.   
"Even contained, I am free, _sensei_. Free to surrender to you as your willing slave," Touda replied quietly, arms folding around his master's waist.   
"Don't talk like that," Tsuzuki admonished tiredly, pulling free to walk past him, only to stop a couple of paces away, staring down at the unused bed. Touda wasn't sure how to respond to that verbally, but he knew that Tsuzuki needed sleep and that he couldn't sleep in his current mode of dress. Nor would he be sleeping well with as much tension as he was carrying. So rather than saying anything at all, he walked up behind his master and slowly slipped the rumpled black jacket down Tsuzuki's arms until it dropped to the floor, brushing faint kisses against the back of the _shinigami_'s neck.   
"Touda. . . ."   
"You cannot mean to tell me you intended to sleep in this rumpled thing," he smirked, though to be honest, it looked very much like his master had done just that at least once already. "I'm surprised Suzaku didn't throw you into the baths . . . or at least make sure you slept."   
"She never really had the chance," Tsuzuki confessed, neither protesting Touda's attention any further nor doing a thing to assist with the process of undressing. As if he were too tired to bother, which was quite possibly true. Touda eased his master out of his disheveled suit, a bemused sigh sneaking out of him as he watched Tsuzuki collapse onto the bed without even bothering to pull back the linens.   
"Perhaps that is just as well," Touda murmured, kneeling at his master's side. Delicately probing, his fingers carefully investigated the knots across Tsuzuki's back, moderately surprised that the _shinigami_ wasn't protesting. The depth of tension spoke of years of abuse and neglect due to stress, likely at Tsuzuki's own hands. Touda had never met anyone nearly as determined to think the worst of himself. And that determination showed in the depth of tension the man was carrying. Touda actually feared that, to release those knots, he would have to hurt his master even more deeply, so he resigned himself to merely releasing the surface tension. The response from Tsuzuki was immediately gratifying as a long sigh bordering on a purr oozed out of him.   
"_Sankyuu_, Touda," the _shinigami_ purred as he rolled over, ending the massage far too early for Touda's liking. Purple eyes shimmered up at him under heavy lids, proving once more how tired the other man was. When was the last time Tsuzuki had slept a full night? He was almost afraid to ask. Annoying, the gathering fears for his master, so entwined with other emotions he had been happy to forget.   
"Sleep. You look terrible."   
"I will," he replied and with obvious effort, Tsuzuki reached up to cup Touda's cheek. "With you beside me, perhaps I'll even have gentle dreams for a change. Come, lay down, Touda. You need the sleep as much as anyone."   
Touda resisted for only a moment, then sighed as he shifted to lay on the other half of the bed. He was bound to serve and he had given his word, but as he lay there with his hands tucked under his head, he felt no tiredness of his own. But as he lay unmoving, the bed shifted and dipped, Tsuzuki's warmth sliding closer as the man snuggled against him, one arm slung possessively over his torso.   
"You _do_ realize we are laying on top of all the bedlinens. . . ."   
"Minor detail," Tsuzuki murmured, his fingers tracing a section of swirling embroidery on his tunic.   
"You won't think so when you're freezing in the morning. . . ."   
"Why would I be cold? You're here. . . ."   
Seemingly negligent fingers continued to lightly trace the sewn patterns of Touda's tunic, lulling and soothing him into a false sense of quiescence until, quite suddenly, his perspective on the situation changed. Rather than staring up at elegent yet bland ceiling tiles, Tsuzuki's face was abruptly only scant centimeters above his own.   
"You _will_ keep me warm, won't you Touda?"   
Such an innocent question, and yet filled with so many unspoken suggestions. And then there was the worried pleading even his tiredness couldn't hide.   
"Of course," Touda said softly, a smile threatening. Relief flooded violet eyes and then Tsuzuki was kissing him insistently, his unbridled desire kindling an echo within him. A seeking hand slid under Touda's tunic, carelessly stretching the form-fitting garment out of shape in the quest for living flesh. Every move the man made spoke of possession and dominance and some part of Touda instinctively rebelled against it for a moment before intellect reasserted itself. His tunic was torn in Tsuzuki's urgency and with a growl of annoyance, he rolled them over.   
"You," he accused, "are supposed to be sleeping. Not seducing one you know will give you everything."   
"You could stop pretending like you don't want it," Tsuzuki growled in response, yanking Touda's head down into another possessive kiss. This time Tsuzuki succeeded in removing the clinging tunic that had thwarted him before, heedlessly tossing it aside. Nipping kisses slid down Touda's throat, his breathing growing heavy as his master's fiendishly skilled tongue teased at one nipple. Memory failed to recall ever feeling anything quite like it and he was distressed at the needy whimper that oozed out of him when Tsuzuki stopped.   
"_Sensei_. . . ."   
Teasing fingers ran through Touda's hair, his master pulling him closer to lap and nip at the curve of his neck. His breathing was coming in soft pants, intermittently disturbed by quiet, longing mewls, while his arms trembled with the effort of holding him up, preserving what little space existed between himself and Tsuzuki.   
"_Sensei_," he repeated, his voice little more than a husky whisper, but Tsuzuki seemed to be willfully ignoring him, gentle lapping becoming insistent suction. Seeking fingers explored his back and flanks, one hand teasing briefly at the waistband of his undershorts before trailing slowly lower. Touda's own body betrayed his will, responding to Tsuzuki's touch even though he knew the other man needed sleep more than he needed sex.   
"_Sensei_," he insisted a third time, "sleep."   
"I don't want sleep," Tsuzuki said in a husky whisper. "And according to this, neither do you."   
"_Sensei_," he sighed, planting light kisses on the man's face, "I will never deny you what you want, what you need. Whatever you ask, I will give it to you. So please . . . do not ask this."   
"Touda. . . ."   
"In the morning," Touda interrupted, placing a silencing finger over Tsuzuki's lips. "Anything you wish, only promise me you'll sleep first."   
"In the morning," Tsuzuki agreed and from the lascivious glint in those sparkling eyes, Touda knew he meant it.   
  


* * *

  
_End Notes_   
As promised, notes to specific reviewers. But first, a general thank you to everyone who's read and/or reviewed. Can't believe the first chapter got over 200 reads already. Thanks much, guys.   
  
**Nel**: Ah, but is it or am I just playing with your minds? This arc is just beginning, after all. . . . ~_^   
  
**Akira**: I'm working on it! Glad you liked it.   
  
**Yanagi-sen**: Hope this was soon enough, though probably not, eh? ~_^ Maybe this'll help tide you over for a little while? Maybe?   
  
**Mason-san**: Congrats, you're my new all-time favourite reviewer. ^__^ Seriously, thank you. And now, for your questions!   
Why a separate fic? Story integrity, really, as snobbish as that sounds. It's not apparent from the reader's perspective, but the _shinigami_'s hunt for Hisoka needs to be separate from "Lost in Jade" or else things get messy. "Jade," "Dove," and JA#3 are kind of like interlocking gears, with "Dove" acting as a bit of a bridge between #1 and #3. So yes, there is a plan - I rarely start writing an arc until I have it plotted at least through three stories. ~_^   
Here's to hoping I continue to at least meet your expectations. And perhaps even do something to redeem Tsuzuki? I've been known to do it (redeem disliked characters, that is), but I'm not going to be egotistical enough to say I'll do it in this case. ^__^ As for Hisoka's problems, well... _*chuckles*_ It was a discussion they needed to have. Whether they're right or not, well, you'll just have to wait and see, yes? 


	3. Hawks

  
**Author's Note:** Day J-5. Even if you've been alternating between this and "Jade," I suggest reading this and the next chapter together. They're meant to be together anyway.   
**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Lost in Jade" and Kyoto Arc. Tsu/Touda   
**Disclaimer:** _Yami no Matsuei_ is the property of Matsushita Yoko - I'm just borrowing a few things. The plot is all mine though.   
  


* * *

**Black Dove**   
_III. Hawks_

  
Tsuzuki smiled to himself as he watched Touda sleep. Apparently they had both fallen asleep again after their . . . morning activities. His watch said it was half past eleven, not that he really cared. Indeed, he was feeling very much disinclined to move away from Touda's semi-possessive arm. But they had already missed breakfast and it was likely nothing short of Tenkuu's stodgy loyalty to preserving Tsuzuki's honor that had kept Suzaku at bay for so long. She had probably worked herself up to an impressive level of wrath after an entire morning of stewing. And as much as he might wish otherwise, it was unlikely his new relationship with Touda would do anything to appease the pheonix _shikigami_'s ire. If anyone were to ask him, in fact, he would have placed even odds that the knowledge that Touda was now Tsuzuki's lover would only make Suzaku even angrier.   
His lover. There was still a tinge of unreality to the whole situation, despite the rumpled linens that were doing precious little to cover him, the protective arm that cradled his shoulders. Touda was among the twelve most powerful gods in GenSouKai and though immortal, he had chosen a human for his lover. Well, nearly human. Once again, Tsuzuki worried if this was truly what Touda wanted, or if the dark and brooding _shikigami_ was only doing what his master commanded.   
"You worry too much, _sensei_."   
Tsuzuki started, twisting around to gaze up at visored eyes and an amused smile.   
"You could at least _try_ calling me 'Asato,' Touda," he murmured, trying to deflect the other man's concern.   
"This morning doesn't change that you are still my master; nothing can change that. It would be improper for me to call you anything else, _sensei_."   
"That's fine when the others are around, but when it's just us . . . you didn't seem to have this problem earlier."   
Touda started to say something, then stopped, distracted by something his more acute senses were telling him. Tsuzuki sighed and waited.   
"Someone is coming," Touda murmured. "From the anger in the aura, probably Suzaku."   
"Well, we skipped breakfast and as much as she worries about me, she probably knows I'm here."   
"And probably means to interfere."   
"Quite likely, yes," Tsuzuki agreed, fighting off another sigh. It was no secret that Suzaku and Touda fought over him nearly daily even when he _wasn't_ visiting GenSouKai. He had once considered ordering them to stop bickering, but in the end he had decided against it. Suzaku would ignore his orders, leaving Touda unable to defend himself against her without breaking the rules of his parole.   
"If she thinks she can take you from me, then she is very wrong," Touda said with quiet possessiveness. Tsuzuki was tempted to do more than just kiss Touda but by then even he could hear the approaching footsteps. An angry staccato that made no indication that it would let anything stop it. Annoyed but not about to be caught out by his own _shikigami_, he pulled himself out of bed . . . and sighed in frustration at the rumpled mess that was his clothes. There was no way he could face her wearing _those_. Without a word, Touda handed him a plain tunic before pulling on his own, more formal one. Tsuzuki was grateful that it was only a short tunic; Touda wasn't all that much taller, but he _was_ bulkier. The black garment would have only reached just below Touda's waist, but on him it was more than halfway down his thighs. Like borrowing clothes from an older brother.   
"TSUZUKI ASATO!"   
"If she storms in here. . . ."   
"TSUZUKI ASATO!! I KNOW YOU HEAR ME!!!"   
Her anger was almost a tangible thing as Suzaku threw open the outer door, a bitter tang to the air that preceeded her into the bedroom. An anger that only made Tsuzuki more determined to put an end to the feuding that had so obviously gotten out of control. Bad enough that they thought they could fight over him like children with a favorite toy, but that Touda's right to privacy should be so casually dismissed. . . .   
Suzaku actually stopped short when confronted with the sight of her master in one of Touda's tunics. It required very little insight to figure out what had happened, and as Tsuzuki had halfway predicted, Suzaku's rage only increased to new levels. He could almost see the spectral fire dancing about her as she glared at Touda, sword in hand.   
"How _dare_ you," she hissed, glaring at the snake _shikigami_ with venomous eyes. But if she had expected her rival to be any more compliant than usual, she was quite wrong. Arms crossed in the picture of cold indifference, Touda merely glared at her, but the sudden flicker of purple fire along one lamp's wick was not lost on Tsuzuki.   
"It is not your place to question," Touda replied icily.   
"If the Golden Emperor knew. . . ."   
"Knew what? That I am even further bound to his will?"   
"_His_ will? And what happens when you get tired of whatever game you're playing now?"   
"You would dishonor our master by calling this a _game_?" Touda snapped. For a moment, Tsuzuki considered interrupting the two _shikigami_, but the purple fire had returned, licking at the wicks of two lamps this time. That was more than enough to give him pause. With only the visor in place . . . how much of Touda's powers _were_ still bound into that slip of metal and plastic?   
"Don't push me, _shikai no hakaisha_! If the others knew you weren't restrained. . . ."   
Purple fire danced through every lamp in the room as Touda uncrossed his arms and stepped forward to tower over Suzaku, imposing even in his partial state of undress.   
"Do not doubt that, were I not restrained, you would not be standing here, saying such things, Suzaku!" he rumbled in frigid warning. While Tsuzuki doubted Touda would actually lose his control, the half dozen hissing lamps were enough to make him worry. Had he been wrong to remove as many restraints as he had? Touda hadn't exactly assured him that his powers were controlled with the visor in place, only that without it, the temptation to unleash the full force of his wrath would have been too great.   
Interjecting himself between the two fire _shikigami_, he placed a calming hand on Touda's chest, waiting for him to meet his eyes before turning to glower at Suzaku.   
"You're out of line, Suzaku."   
"But. . . ."   
"You think I don't know what I'm doing?"   
"I didn't say that. . . ."   
"Then . . . what? Why are you here?"   
"When you missed breakfast . . . we were worried about you. . . ."   
"As if Tenkuu would allow anything to happen to me. Try again."   
"You deserve better than his scorn!"   
"How dare you. . . ."   
"Touda, let me handle this," he warned, glancing up at visored eyes, unsurprised at the rage he saw smoldering there. "You have no right to intrude, Suzaku."   
"I am sworn to protect you. From all dangers."   
"And you honestly think I need that protection even here, in GenSouKai?" he asked, feigning incredulity; Tsuzuki knew full well what she meant. He wasn't about to let her get away with it.   
"With Touda as one of the twelve? Yes!"   
"You think, with all of the restraints on his freedom, that he would do anything to harm me?"   
"Snake gods cannot be trusted," she muttered stubbornly. "He tried to kill you once already!"   
"At _my_ command!" Tsuzuki snapped, surprising even himself with how easily he was able to refer to the events in Kyoto. He had wanted to die . . . and Touda was the only one of his twelve who would have followed his final order, bound as the _shikigami_ was to Tsuzuki's will, though it would have cost him everything. How selfish he had been then!   
"You . . . you were upset, sick,"she murmured guiltily. "You didn't know what you were saying. . . ."   
"I knew _exactly_ what I was saying," he said crisply. He closed his eyes as Touda slowly rubbed his back, soothing. Taking deep breaths, he gathered himself before opening his eyes again.   
"But. . . ."   
"And nothing in this world, not even your oath to me, gives you the right to invade Touda's privacy."   
"Privacy? What privacy? He's a criminal! He has no right to expect any such thing!"   
"He is one of the twelve; he has the same right to privacy as anyone else. To say nothing of _my_ privacy. You had no right to force your way here."   
Suzaku remained silent at that, unable to argue. More than anyone else in Tenkuu, Tsuzuki's privacy as master should have been inviolate. While he appreciated Suzaku's concern, he still intended to have Tenkuu explain just why he had allowed his personal privacy to be breached. Particularly for such a petty matter as Suzaku's hatredof Touda.   
"You have fought with Touda since I freed him, taking exception to everything about him. You don't have to like him, but you _will_ stop this stupidity. I am _ordering_ you to stop picking fights with him."   
"If he starts --"   
"He won't. And neither will you. Do I make myself clear, Suzaku?"   
"_Hai . . . sensei_."   
The last time he had seen her that angry was when he had persisted in trying to free Touda against her advice. That was also the last time she had called him _sensei_. It had been months before she had forgiven him for that and even so he had never been sure if she had indeed forgiven him or had just learned to accept a distasteful truth.   
"We were worried about you," she murmured after a moment's silence, though whether it was a final attempt at justification or not, Tsuzuki wasn't certain.   
"You can tell everyone I'll be putting in an appearance at lunch, promise," he said with a smile, hoping to soothe her ruffled feathers at least a little bit. "And if you run into Byakko, could you have him drop off some clothes? You know, so I can at least have something to wear until mine are cleaned. . . ."   
"You _do_ look pretty ridiculous," she agreed with a faint smile.   
"I was trying to avoid saying that," he said, holding back a laugh. Tsuzuki smiled up at Touda, to take out any bite in his words, but if his lover had even heard him, he was giving no sign of it. A momentary frown and then Tsuzuki sighed, shaking his head; Touda had an undeniable knack for tuning out. Though he did wonder what had so captured the _shikigami_'s attention that he was willing to relax his guard around Suzaku.   
"I'll have Byakko bring you something. Don't forget lunch. And open some windows; something in here stinks."   
A wink and a pat on the cheek and Tsuzuki could almost forget that she had ever been angry. Almost. But even with her gone, the faint odor of sulfur lingered, a reminder of Touda's own anger. Tsuzuki glanced over at the hellfire _shikigami_, verifying that he was still lost in his own world before opening the door out to the rear garden. Closing his eyes, he smiled at the warm sunlight streaming down onto his upturned face. In the two and a half years since partnering with Hisoka, he had all but forgotten how peaceful and refreshing it was to just visit GenSouKai. The quiet of Tenkuu, the subdued peace of the gardens that surrounded and enfolded the palace complex . . . he should have brought Hisoka here months ago.   
Sighing contentedly, Tsuzuki opened his eyes as he leaned against the jamb to survey the garden. Like the rest of the palace, there was an air of formality to it, but without the sterility of Touda's too perfect apartment. A gravel and stone walk meandered through manicured beds of roses of every variety Tsuzuki had ever heard mentioned and a few he never would have imagined. It was filled with vibrant ripples of color, pale pinks fading into mellow peaches or darkening to reds so deep as to be almost black. A trellis arch was silently calling to him, climbing white roses nearly obscuring the bench beneath it. He could hear the faint music of a fountain or perhaps a small cascade into a fish pond. He was just pushing off the door jamb to investigate when strong arms wrapped around him from behind.   
"Thank you," Touda murmured as he drew Tsuzuki back against his chest.   
"Back are we? What had you so distracted anyway?"   
"There are . . . many things I have never told you. . . ."   
"If you don't want to answer my question, just say so," Tsuzuki sighed, intending to pull away, but Touda's arms tightened with a tiny noise of denial.   
"Without explanation . . . I would not want you to think wrongly of me, _nushi_."   
"_Che_, I think I preferred when you insisted on calling me _sensei_," he grumbled, lightly swatting at Touda's encircling arms.   
"If you keep interrupting, we'll miss lunch."   
"Then skip to the point."   
"Did you ever bother to learn about the source of _shikigami_ powers, or do you just use our power in place of your own without considering its source?"   
"I resent that. . . ."   
"Resent what? That we replace a power you're too terrified to use?" Touda asked quietly. "A power that has given you dominion over the twelve most powerful gods in all of GenSouKai. Why _shouldn't_ you use our power?"   
"I resent the implication that I'm some sort of irresponsible, power-hungry maniac who gives no regard to the _shikigami_ who have sworn themselves to his service."   
"It was not my intention to imply such a thing," Touda sighed. "But it's easier to explain my abilities if I know how much you know."   
"I remember SohRyu lecturing once about the balance of powers, but . . .," Tsuzuki trailed off with a half shrug. As much as he respected SohRyu, the guardian of the east tended to be a dry and boring lecturer.   
"An elemental force such as the Four Guardians are balanced by definition, drawing equally from light and dark," Touda explained quietly, holding Tsuzuki in a way that prevented the _shinigami_ from turning around. "But for the rest of us, we are born of one side or the other, drawing power from only one aspect of the whole. They hate me for the hellfires that mark me as different from them. Because I was once. . . ."   
Touda trailed off, as if unwilling to admit to a distasteful truth. Tsuzuki leaned back against Touda's chest, hugging the arms that enfolded him. Perhaps it would be better to wait until after lunch, but he suspected this was something the _shikigami_ needed to tell him. Even though he half suspected he already knew what he was trying to confess.   
"Because your power draws from the Makai?" he asked quietly.   
"Because I was born of the Makai, because I once sought power for it's own sake . . . and because once born of the dark, one is forever linked to it."   
"Wha-what? What are you saying? That . . . that you're still part of the Makai?!? That you mean to betray me?!"   
Tsuzuki tried to pull away but Touda wouldn't allow it. Instead, he turned him around, the anger obvious even through the visor, an anger that tried to hide the hurt beneath it.   
"I will _never_ betray you!"   
"Then. . . ."   
"A million years ago, yes, I could have ruled there. Perhaps should have, but I failed. And for my failure, I was banished to this place, long before the rise of man. The war? My own doing, in a stunted quest for more power. A quest now abandoned, for I need nothing more than to serve you, _sensei_," Touda murmured, hesitant fingers sliding through Tsuzuki's hair.   
"But you said. . . ."   
"There is . . . a current, a collective link, if you will, that runs through the very fabric of the Makai," Touda explained.   
"Then the Makai know everything you've d--"   
"No," Touda interrupted, shaking his head, "it doesn't work that way. I can only sense it when one of the Makai is near and not even the high lords of the Makai could do more than dream of reading me. They might know I was near, and fear that truth, but nothing more. I told you, I will never betray you. . . ."   
Touda drew Tsuzuki into a brief kiss before releasing the man with an amused smile.   
"Gossiping demons sometimes have amusing tales. Byakko has been and gone; perhaps you should see what he left before you miss lunch as well?"   
"You mean before _we_ miss lunch. Don't think I'm letting you squirm out of this, Touda!"   
His lover only smiled enigmatically, something Tsuzuki was fairly certain was not a good sign. Not necessarily a bad one either, but still . . . he could have shown a _little_ more enthusiasm. Then again, maybe not. As Tsuzuki had to keep reminding himself, Touda was not a social creature . . . and would likely never be, even if he _wasn't_ hated by nearly every other _shikigami_ residing in Tenkuu.   
"You're worrying again," Touda murmured, shocking Tsuzuki into dropping the pants he had been holding. Byakko wasn't quite the same size, and his taste in clothes was a bit louder than he liked - even the tiger god's _boxers_ were bright colors and ridiculous patterns - but then again, beggars couldn't afford to be too picky. At least the selection had been fairly wide. With a bit of searching he had managed to find a very bland pair of jeans and a similarly unadorned grey t-shirt, though he had been a bit surprised to discover that Byakko even owned such things.   
"I'm not worrying, I'm jus--"   
"You're worrying," Touda interrupted, resting a finger against Tsuzuki's lips. The _shikigami_ was already fully dressed and armored, which struck him as being nothing short of miraculous, considering he hadn't been looking through Byakko's clothes for _that_ long. And unfortunate, given the thoughts that were suddenly making lascivious laps about his head.   
"Later," the other man said, smiling as he dropped his fingers from Tsuzuki's mouth. "You promised to put in an appearance. Can't have you becoming a liar now, can we?"   
"All right, all right," he conceded, pulling on the jeans swiftly to hide the annoyingly bright blue batik boxers. "And don't think I won't keep you to _your_ promise. . . ."   
"Have I promised anything?" Touda asked with faux surprise. Unable to stop himself, Tsuzuki's hand wrapped around the back of Touda's neck, drawing his lover into a scorching kiss that promised a great deal all by itself.   
"Would I lie?" he whispered, only bare centimeters from his lover's lips. He actually shivered as Touda's laughter brushed against his cheek, a single set of claws running teasingly up his back.   
"Later, Asato," the visored man whispered, his breath warm on Tsuzuki's face for a moment before the contact was broken. "We have all the time we could desire. . . ."   
_All the time we could desire_. . . . Tsuzuki wondered if that could really be true. Another day and a half and Rikogou would have Hisoka home. Or at least have a good idea where his partner was. They'd probably have some time off while Hisoka was recovering from his latest ordeal, but after that, it would be back to casework. But he could still visit Touda between missions. And perhaps . . . perhaps when he finally became too weary to carry forward any longer, they'd let him stay in GenSouKai. If Touda still wanted him.   
Claws tripped up his back, silently alerting him that Touda was still watching him. Watching him and somehow knowing what he was thinking. The bond of power between master and _shikigami_? Could it give one who knew how special insights? He didn't know and as he was gently herded towards the dining hall, the aroma of fresh-baked apple pie pushed aside any serious worry. Time enough for that later. 


	4. Doves

  
**Author's Note:** Day J-6. Intended to be read immediately after III, for the sake of symbology.   
**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Lost in Jade" and Kyoto Arc. Tsu/Touda, Rikugou/Kouchin, hints of Tat/Wat   
**Disclaimer:** _Yami no Matsuei_ is the property of Matsushita Yoko - I'm just borrowing a few things. The plot is all mine though.   
  


* * *

**Black Dove**   
_IV. Doves_

  
Rikugou dashed his hand through the fountain's pool in annoyance, sending a spray of water towards his returning companion. It was nearly noon of the second day and still the stellar oracle remained clouded. It was, in a word, maddening. Without the oracle's guidance, there was nothing he could do to aid the effort to find Hisoka and time was running out.   
"Would it then be safe to assume that your oracle is still clouded, Rikugou?" SohRyu murmured, hand raised as the water droplets froze in midair at his silent command.   
"Yes, SohRyu, it's still clouded. I don't get it! I should be able to see _something_!"   
"Then it would appear that the time has come for your second plan," the other _shikigami_ said calmly, releasing his control of the water to allow it to splash harmlessly to the ground. Rikugou couldn't help but smile; it was so like SohRyu not to want his robes dampened, even by a few stray drops.   
"_Hai, hai_. I'll return to GenSouKai, talk to Kijin and Kouchin. I just . . . was hoping not to have to do this. Do you know how long it's been since I was summoned to Chijou?"   
"Not off hand, no. . . ."   
"Heian era. The _Heian_ era, SohRyu! I barely manage here in Meifu. What am I going to do among the humans? And Kouchin? I doubt very much she's been to Chijou any more recently than I have. . . ."   
"You are both intelligent, adaptable people, Rikugou. _If_ my son is unable to assist you, then I have faith you will both be able to adjust to the realities of the modern world."   
Sighing and waving his hands at SohRyu, Rikugou was momentarily tempted to kick _sakura_ petals at the man, but the urge passed swiftly. He was only trying to help, really; it wasn't his fault that the oracle was being so uncooperative.   
"And what about you?"   
"Tsuzuki should stay in GenSouKai as much as possible, on that point I believe we are agreed, yes? He would not feel comfortable doing that if he thought he might miss something important. I will remain so that he need not carry that fear."   
"So _generous_ of you, SohRyu," he said, smirking slightly. The guardian of the east twitched slightly, the only real sign of the _shikigami_'s displeasure with Rikugou's tone. A final unrepentant smile and then he returned to Tenkuu.   
The midday sun sparkled off the _sakura_-dappled stones of the walk leading to the main entrance of the palace he called home as one of the twelve. Hearing laughter in the forecourt, he detoured to investigate and smiled when he found Byakko in his tiger form, romping around with a laughing Tenkou. When she caught sight of him, she giggled and bounced over to him, hugging him as if he had been gone for years instead of only two days.   
"Isn't Daddy with you?"   
"No, Tenkou, he's still in Meifu. But he misses you and he thinks about you all the time."   
"Oh, well, that's okay then. But he'll be home again soon, right? Before Tsuzuki-niisan leaves? I think _niisan_ is the only reason Suzaku and Touda haven't declared all-out war on each other," the girl confided with a worried look.   
"_Hai_, as soon as Kurosaki-kun is found. But . . . Suzaku's been trying to kill Touda for months. Why do you think it's suddenly worse?" he asked, crouching down to Tenkou's level. They had briefly tried to keep the feuding under wraps for Tenkou's sake, but Suzaku's inability to control her temper around Touda had made that impossible.   
"_Aniki_ won't tell me," she pouted. "He just says to stay away from them. _Aniki_ and Byakko and Kouchin and Taimou and Tsuzuki-niisan and even Tenkuu are conspiring against me."   
"Now why would anyone do that, Byakko?" he asked as the tiger _shikigami_ joined them, tail swaying guiltily.   
"Eh-heh, well . . . you know how _neechan_ really worries about Asato-nii, right?"   
"Right. . . ."   
"And, you know, she _really_ doesn't like Touda, ne?"   
"Right," Rikugou confirmed, not sure he liked where this conversation was leading.   
"Well, Asato-nii's been spending, um, a lot of time with him, see. . . . He says he ordered her not to pick fights with Touda anymore, but, well, you know how Suzaku is about orders she doesn't like. . . ."   
"_Sou desu ne_ . . . her temper is going to get her in trouble one of these days," he sighed as he rose to his feet. "Where is your _aniki_, Tenkou?"   
"Somewhere," she replied with a shrug. "Play with me more, Byakko!"   
"Aren't you tired _yet_?" Byakko mock-whined as he loped after the giggling girl. Rikugou watched them retreat for a moment before entering Tenkuu, pausing briefly to brush a few stray petals from his robes. _Have the sakura here no better sense than those of Meifu? Ah, but then it is spring again, isn't it? So easy to forget. . . ._   
"Tenkuu, where's --?"   
"Kijin is in the Eastern Palace, beside the great reflecting pool."   
_Of course Tenkuu would know who I sought_, he thought with mild amusement. He wasted no time finding the young thunder god, unsurprised at the tea set that waited beside Kijin. Naturally the palace would have alerted the youth to his impending arrival. Between the gentle whispering breeze and the naturally soothing atmosphere of the garden, Rikugou was only too happy to linger and enjoy Kijin's tea.   
"Is it true, _sempai_? Is Kurosaki-san truly lost?"   
"Yes, and I fear my plan to find him has been a rather dismal failure. But perhaps your methods will succeed where my oracle has been clouded?"   
"We can but hope and see," Kijin replied placidly. But even after an entire afternoon of diligent searching, they had learned only slightly more than they had known before. Cards, stones, scrying . . . always the answers were clouded, tainted by something that did not want to be seen. It perplexed Kijin as much as it had him, though at least they had managed a few small victories. Small comfort though it was, they could tell Tsuzuki with confidence that Muraki no longer held power over Hisoka. It was a truth that presented more questions than answers, but perhaps it would be some consolation. And combined with the confirmation that Hisoka had sent the dove from somewhere in Kyoto. . . .   
"Never before have I seen the lines of force so muddled. And for what reason? I do not understand it, _sempai_."   
"_Hai_. It's almost as if . . . as if. . . ."   
"As if?"   
"Oh nothing, nothing. Tenkuu, please have Kouchin meet me . . . wherever Tsuzuki-sensei is right now."   
"The Northern rose garden."   
"_Honto ni_? Well then, the Northern rose garden."   
"Why so surprised, _sempai_? _Niisan_ has always loved roses. . . ."   
"Mm, so he has," Rikugou mused, smiling as he left. It was true that Tsuzuki had always had a certain fondness for the rose gardens of the Southern and Eastern Palaces. But in the nearly three-quarters of a century since first swearing allegiance to him, Rikugou had never known him to spend any great amount time in the Northern Palace at all, let alone the rose guarden. And then he remembered Byakko's words. Was that the reason? Had servant and master retreated to Genbu's palace to escape the firebird of the south?   
"Rikugou-kun! Good, good, you've returned. Now shoo those two fools out of my garden! _Che_, you never should have allowed me to agree to giving him quarters in my palace! What were you thinking, not looking out for your master?! How irresponsible of you!"   
"I was thinking," he replied smoothly, "that Asato-nii had charmed you as smoothly as he'd charmed the others. Now out of the way, old man! I have to meet with Kouchin!"   
He spotted Touda first, a black-clad anomaly in the midst of the multi-colored garden. He was lounging on one of the marble benches, leaning against a striking purple arbor wound with delicate white climbing roses. Rikugou stopped and stared, surprised at the sight; he had never seen Touda so relaxed. And then he spotted the reason for that ease: a bundled Tsuzuki nestled against the snake god's chest.   
"_Ne_, Rikugou, they are good for each other, don't you think?" Kouchin whispered from behind him, fingertips brushing against his shoulder fleetingly. "This is the closest I've ever seen him to being happy and _niisan_ . . . he's worried about Kurosaki-kun, of course, but it doesn't eat at him as it has been this past week."   
"And Suzaku?"   
"_Aa_ . . . heard about that, _ne_? _Anou_ . . . they spend most of their time together, so. . . ."   
"Then we must think of some way of keeping her contained while he summons us to Chijou. . . ."   
"Summons _us_? But . . . why should _niisan_ do that?"   
"Come. Though it disturb their peace, it is easier to tell it only once."   
"As if you haven't been a disturbance from the moment you set foot in this guardian," Touda called out to them, not even bothering to glance at them. Rikugou sighed but couldn't make himself feel especially surprised; for one such as Touda, intimate awareness of all that surrounded him was a vital survival tactic, one that could not simply be turned off just because he was on safe ground. Particularly since the rebellious _shikigami_ didn't consider Tenkuu's grounds to truly be a safe haven at all.   
As he and Kouchin approached the pair, Tsuzuki pulled himself into a sitting position, but still remained leaning against Touda. Violet eyes appeared dim, as if he had been napping. From the blanket around his shoulders, perhaps that was exactly what he had been doing.   
"Rikugou and Kouchin," the _shinigami_ mumbled blurrily. "But no SohRyu, no Hisoka. And it's . . . mid-afternoon of the second day. You promised, Rikugou."   
"That I did, _sensei_. And as promised, we have a lead; Hisoka sent the bird from somewhere in Kyoto. And he is _not_ with Muraki."   
"Kyoto . . . that's Watari's area! He and I can go get Hisoka!"   
"It is, yes, but Watari-san cannot retrace the dove's steps, which will be necessary for this case. Kouchin, however, can. Together, we can track down your partner and bring him back safely."   
"You two?" Touda murmured in disbelief. "You wouldn't last an hour without giving yourselves away. Might as well send SohRyu to fetch the boy back!"   
"What does it matter? It might even be beneficial for our true natures to be known. . . ."   
"It matters," Touda muttered, fingers twining through Tsuzuki's possessively. If Rikugou hadn't known better, he would have thought the _shikigami_ was nervous. But the thought of a nervous Touda was beyond laughable.   
"Touda. . . ."   
"It matters. If they see _shikigami_, especially two of the twelve, then all of this will have been for nothing."   
"Touda, what are you talking about? If you know who's holding Kurosa--"   
"Does it matter the how or the why?" he snapped sharply, an angry glare clearly visible in spite of the visor he wore. "But it's only logic, Rikugou. Whoever's holding him, if they see you coming, they'll move. And then what will you do?"   
"He's got a point," Tsuzuki sighed. "Your human forms are too noticeable. I'll have to bring you to Meifu first, to ensure you will not be noticed so easily. You as well, Touda; I don't trust her not to try something. . . ."   
"She cannot defeat me."   
"All the same, I'd rather not tempt her into trying. Especially since she'll feel it when I start summoning," Tsuzuki murmured. Sitting upright, he unwrapped the blanket from his shoulders and twisted around to kiss Touda. For the first time in decades, Rikugou felt a blush creeping into his cheeks at such a public act of tenderness.   
"_Kawaii, ne_ Rikugou?" Kouchin murmured, seemingly emboldened by their master's display as her own arm wrapped around his waist.   
"Not the word I'd use for it," he whispered in response.   
"I will summon you each soon," Tsuzuki murmured in parting. Rikugou could feel the hum of power slowly building, the sure sign that one of the twelve would soon be summoned. If he wished to speak in the relative privacy of the garden, he would have to do so quickly. It took time to reset one's mind before summoning a _shikigami_, but Tsuzuki had always been especially swift. Particularly when highly motivated.   
"_Ne_, Touda . . . you and _sensei_ have bonded rather quickly. . . ."   
Anger flashed across Touda's visor and black spectral fire danced at his fingertips as he surged to his feet.   
"_Matte, matte_! Not like that!" he cried hurriedly. "We approve, Kouchin and I! You're good for each other."   
"Then why bring it up?" the snake god growled, still not placated.   
"To tell you that, well, whatever any of the others say . . . you have our support. And if there's anything you need, anything we can do to help you. . . ."   
Kouchin was about to add her own thoughts when the power around them spiked and the magic of Tsuzuki's summoning enfolded Touda, whisking him away to Meifu. A playful glint shone in Kouchin's eyes, but whatever mischief she was thinking remained unvoiced as another whirlwind of summoning magic pulled her away. He could hear Suzaku's angry yells and just barely caught a glimpse of the enraged _shikigami_ before the magic summoned him to Meifu as well.   
"Suzaku's livid," he reported with a shake of his head.   
"I'm not surprised," Tsuzuki sighed, turning to lean against Touda momentarily. He had drawn them to the _sakura_ orchard again and the air was alive with delicate petals sent aloft by the winds of their summoning. It was marvelously beautiful and yet terribly sad at the same time.   
"_Aa_, now I see why SohRyu-sama wanted me to meet you. Welcome back, Tsuzuki."   
"Watari," Tsuzuki murmured and with effort the _shinigami_ separated himself from Touda to smile tiredly at the blond warden of the sixth block.   
"_Oya_, catch you napping, Tsuzuki? Well don't you worry. Find some place to finish that nap while I take care of Rikugou and the lady. Aiming for completely inconspicous, right?"   
"_Hai_. Think you and Wakaba-chan can manage that without me?"   
"Oy! I haven't been dead _that_ long! Don't worry, we'll handle this. You just finish your nap. These two can find you when we're done, right?"   
"Should be able to, yes," Tsuzuki replied with a yawn. "And . . . try not to take too long?"   
"Well . . . we'll see. No promises."   
"Time is on our side, _sensei_," Touda murmured. "Let him take as long as he needs. Especially with Kouchin."   
"Hey!"   
Touda flashed a predatory smile before steering Tsuzuki away from Juuohcho. From what Rikugou had seen in the last two days, the snake god was right. In fact, he himself was relatively lucky - a few borrowed items from Watari and he would be able to blend in easily enough. Kouchin, on the other hand, was going to need considerably more work and in a division dominated by men, finding her someone to loan her clothes could prove somewhat problematic.   
"Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I'll call Saya and Yuma immediately!" Wakaba cried, not even waiting for an introduction before darting off to make her call.   
"All right, just _what_ is wrong with the way I look?" Kouchin demanded archly.   
"Ah, well, nothing really," Watari temporized. "It's just . . . well, actually, I'm not sure that's ever really been in style, but then I'm hardly a fashion expert. Besides, the point is to draw as little attention to yourselves as possible, right? It shouln't be too hard, once we find the right clothes. And I promise, we'll work around the whole hair length issue. I've already been lectured once, thanks."   
It was early evening by the time Watari, Saya, Yuma, Wakaba, Tsuzuki and Touda were all satified that Rikugou and Kouchin would not attract undue attention just by walking the streets of Kyoto. Kouchin's irritation with the need to change at all had swiftly given way to bemusement as Saya and Yuma both rambled in obvious envy of her hair. Which was fortunate, as Rikugou had not been looking forward to a prolonged mission with an annoyed partner.   
Rikugou had to admit, he was impressed. Each of Kouchin's geometric flower tatoos had been carefully masked with a combination of foundation, careful _fuda_, and sensible clothes. Gone was the ribboned crossbreed of ancient and pseudo modern clothing, replaced with a long dark plum skirt and matching jacket, a soft cream shirt, and modest, chunky-heeled brown boots. Her long black hair had been gingerly unbound and then replaited into a single long braid. The transformative power of such simple changes was amazing and had it not been for the ring she still wore, he might have doubted this was in fact his Kouchin.   
"It's . . . amazing," he murmured.   
"Why, Rikugou, you've hardly changed at all!" Kouchin laughed. And it was true. All he had needed were a freshly-dyed pair of black jeans, a grey long-sleeved t-shirt with navy blue striping down the sleeves, a black jacket for the trip to Chijou, and hiking boots, all borrowed from Watari. As long as his hair was, they had opted for a simple tail rather than his normal complex plait. It would be a little unusual, but there was no helping it.   
"There are a few more things we need to cover before we can set you loose upon an unsuspecting Kyoto," Watari said with a grin. "Tsuzuki, why don't you go ahead to the commissary downstairs and I'll go fetch out our sulking Tatsumi."   
"The commissary? But why not one of the meeting rooms? Or the break room, even!"   
"Because it's dinner time, of course, and if we use the office for this any more, he really _won't_ come out. You _know_ how he is."   
"_Hai, hai_," Tsuzuki replied, giggling for the first time Rikugou had seen since this entire thing had begun. Latching on to Touda's hand possessively, Tsuzuki began dragging the bewildered snake god out of Watari's lab, Rikugou and Kouchin trailing behind in vast amusement. Despite Touda's efforts, he couldn't get the _shinigami_ to release his hand until they had actually reached the basement of Juuohcho, by which time it was far too late to do anything but what their master wished: enter the commissary.   
Everyone looked up as their unusual party entered the room, Tsuzuki leading them all to one of the larger tables away from the scattered other patrons of the commissary. While there was over a dozen people there, not including the commissary's staff, even combined, their spiritual energy was far less than any of the _shinigami_ he had met. From the awed looks they were casting at Tsuzuki, they knew it. And they knew who he was as well.   
"_Sensei_, who are those people?" Touda asked with a tone of contempt.   
"Hmm? Oh, other Juuocho employees. Court officials, clerks, maintenance, couriers, visitors from field offices, infirmary staff. There's only eighteen _shinigami_, you know; not everyone can be like us."   
"Why are they staring at us then?" Kouchin whispered.   
"Because Shokan employees don't come down here very often," Tsuzuki murmured in response. "I've come down a couple of times, when the break room upstairs is out of sweets. Besides, Touda tends to stand out a bit."   
Tsuzuki grinned up at the _shikigami_ seated next to him, as if to negate any possible hurt from his words, but it was obvious that Touda didn't care what anyone else thought of him. Fortunately they didn't have to worry about any more troubling conversation as Watari and Tatsumi arrived, the latter looking annoyed at the way the former was all but latched onto his arm.   
"This is ridiculous behavior, Watari-san."   
"Oh stop grouching and sit down. Even _you_ need to eat _sometime_. And there's no reason not to help them out while you do it. More efficient, yes?"   
"Would it be too much to hope that they had briefed you both on modern Kyoto?" Tatsumi asked with a vaguely defeated-sounding sigh. Rikugou chuckled as he nodded his assent. It had been a rather crash-coure style of education, but he was confident both he and Kouchin knew enough to manage for the amount of time needed.   
"They only possible trouble would be money. We don't exactly have any human currency," Kouchin murmured.   
"I've already booked you a hotel room," Tatsumi explained, pushing a medium-sized manila envelop across the table. "I've also arranged a small amount of cash and an expense account, though it is hoped that you can achieve this mission swiftly enough not to have need of either."   
"And I've gathered a list of safehouses - places that will be happy to help you in any way they can. In addition, these two will know how to send me a message, should it become necessary to contact us for any reason," Watari offered, handing Rikugou a short list of what looked like shrines.   
"Is all this really necessary?" Tsuzuki asked with a worried frown. "How long could it take to find Hisoka?"   
"Ah, well, we're getting a bit of a late start," Rikugou confessed uneasily. "I don't know precisely how long it will take to find him, really. And this is all hinging on the hope that he hasn't been moved since he sent that dove."   
"And . . . and if he has?" the eldest _shinigami_ asked, his lower lip actually quivering as he asked.   
"Then they'll have to plan a new course of action from there," Touda answered for them. "_If_ he's been moved, which we don't know that he has."   
"Yes . . . yes of course," Tsuzuki murmured, more to reassure himself than anything else.   
"I'm sure we'll find him swiftly enough, _sensei_," Rikugou murmured soothingly. "After all, Kijin said he was in Kyoto. Even if he's not where he was before, he can't have gone _too_ far."   
Tsuzuki visibly perked up at that; such was the young _shikigami_'s gift that what Kijin said was invariably the truth. And though Rikugou already knew they would be in Kyoto for several days thanks to the young thunder emperor's divinations, there was no reason to tell Tsuzuki that. It would only worry the man further. As much as he was anxious to return Kurosaki-kun to the _shinigami_, Rikugou also wouldn't begrudge his master a few more days of relative peace with Touda. 


	5. Black Sun

  
**Author's Note:** Yes, I know, it's been forever since I've updated this fic. Between unexpected developments (like the birth of an as-yet unfinished sidebar), an all-consuming addiction to GetBackers, and just plain stress, this chapter took a fair bit to finish. And then I sat on it, thinking I could finish the sidebar quickly and release them both together. Hah! Yeah right! How foolish of me.   
  
ANYway...this is your one-chapter warning, kittens. Unless Touda mocks me again, there will be one more chapter after this one, and then it'll be on to the next fic. For your notes, this is day J-7. And yes, I know, I've changed the paragraphing format since the last chapter. No, I won't change older chapters; I already have too much work to do as it is.   
**Warnings:** post-Kyoto, personal interpretations of Touda's past and the nature of GenSouKai.   
**Disclaimer:** _Yami no Matsuei_ is the property of Matsushita Yoko - I'm just borrowing a few things. The plot is all mine though. And a couple other things, but not much.   
  


* * *

**Black Dove**   
_V. Black Sun_

  
Returning to GenSouKai had not been entirely enjoyable for either Tsuzuki or Touda. Suzaku had been beyond insensed at being excluded yet again and nothing Tsuzuki said had done a thing to calm her. In the end, he'd chosen to give up the fight, snatching Touda and fleeing Tenkuu completely. Byakko kept a small cabin high in the mountains beyond Tenkuu, an escapist retreat. A place away from the firebird's anger and the others' resentment.   
  
"Do you think they'll find Hisoka today?" Tsuzuki asked quietly, watching as Touda rekindled the fire in the wood-burning stove that served as the cabin's main source of heat.   
  
"Perhaps . . . if they're lucky."   
  
Sighing silently, Tsuzuki sunk himself deeper into the couch's cushions, drawing his blanket up to his chin. To be completely honest, it was too early in the year to be so high up in the mountains, but listening to all the bickering had been making Tsuzuki's heart ache, to say nothing of his head. Byakko's cabin was a perfect choice for a haven; as much as the tiger god didn't approve of his master's liason, he also wouldn't intrude on their privacy. Or tell anyone else where his private sanctuary was hidden.   
  
The cabin wasn't particularly large; a bedroom, combined kitchen and living space, and a bathroom. The insulation was old and not very thick, though at least it was staying warm enough not to freeze the pipes overnight. And while Tsuzuki would have to be twenty kinds of fool to complain about having to sleep close to Touda for warmth, it had not been the best night's sleep, either. He wasn't entirely sure how Touda could stand to walk around in only his sleeveless tunic, setting the fire and then fetching in fresh wood to dry for later.   
  
"Breakfast next?" Touda asked casually. "We brought enough food to feed an army. . . ."   
  
"You know, don't you?"   
  
"Know? Know what?"   
  
"You know what's going on with Hisoka, don't you, Touda?"   
  
"I don't _know_ anything," the _shikigami_ murmured. In anyone else, the slight emphasis might have gone unnoticed, but from Touda . . . it only raised Tsuzuki's suspicions even more. And supported what he had already suspected; Touda was purposefully not telling him what he knew.   
  
"I could order you to tell me what you're hiding," he said quietly, hoping the tone alone would be enough to coax out the answers.   
  
"You could," Touda agreed quietly, "but you won't. Breakfast?"   
  
"Dammit, Touda! He's my partner!"   
  
"I know," the snake god murmured, turning away from him to inspect their dry stores.   
  
"Muraki could be --!"   
  
"Muraki is doing nothing. You heard the report from Kijin. Are you now doubting the boy's power?"   
  
"But. . . !"   
  
"Asato," Touda murmured, startling the _shinigami_ by suddenly being behind him, surprisingly gentle hands resting on his shoulders, "trust in me as I have trusted in you. I will always obey your orders . . . but I would prefer your trust in this matter."   
  
"Touda, I . . . I can't help it. I can't help worrying about him. Hisoka hasn't been on his own like this or for this long since he became a _shinigami_. It's not normal, it's not natural, it's not right! Something's happened to him, something he obviously can't handle on his own. And I . . . I don't understand why you won't help. . . ."   
  
"And that is why you fail," Touda murmured, moving back to the kitchen.   
  
"Huh? I don't get it. . . ."   
  
"Exactly."   
  
Tsuzuki watched as Touda poured them both bowls of cold cereal and milk. Not his idea of the perfect breakfast, but as long as there was _some_ sugar, he would survive.   
  
Well, if Touda was going to be cagey and difficult, he'd have to try to puzzle this out on his own. As Tsuzuki sampled his breakfast - frosted shredded wheat; not great but not bad - he went over the pieces in his head. Whatever had happened to Hisoka, it was more complex than just Muraki's usual games. Kijin himself said Muraki no longer held Hisoka, which meant his partner was out of contact for some other reason. Watari had gone to the Kokakurou as soon as he had reported Hisoka missing, but the owner had known nothing. Hearing that Hisoka was in Kyoto was worrisome. Had Watari been lied to before? Or was something else going on? And what would Touda know of any of it? Better yet, how would the snake god know? What source of divination did he use that was clear where Kijin and Rikugou had been blocked?   
  
Well, no, that wasn't fair. He hadn't actually said his source was clear, in fact, he'd rather implied the opposite. That his source told him nothing concrete, only speculations. But that didn't explain the _shikigami_'s last words. Something he didn't understand about Touda was keeping him from finding Hisoka? That didn't make sense.   
  
"You're thinking too hard, Asato. Have faith in your _shikigami_; Rikugou and Kouchin will bring back your wayward partner. When the time comes."   
  
"Stop making it sound like it could be days before they find him."   
  
"If this was an easy case, you would have found him yourself, days ago. There's nothing you can do to make them find him faster, so try to relax. That's why we're here, isn't it?"   
  
"Aa, I suppose it is. . . ."   
  
Except as the day passed, no matter the attemps at diversion, Touda's words kept gnawing at him. As much as Hisoka always argued that he could take care of himself, that he didn't need Tsuzuki to watch over him, the elder _shinigami_ knew better. Oh sure, Hisoka was far from helpless and the more he trained with Kanoe-kacho, the stronger he became. As long as they were dealing with ordinary casework, Hisoka could handle pretty much anything. Muraki still threw him a little, but Tsuzuki rather believed that wouldn't be the case for too much longer. But there were still plenty of things his partner couldn't expect to handle on his own. Things like higher order demons. If Hisoka had to face a high lord of the Makai, without Tsuzuki there to help him. . . .   
  
"Oh Enma have mercy, that's it, isn't it?"   
  
"What is?"   
  
"The Makai."   
  
"Asato, I have no idea what you're talking about," Touda sighed, but Tsuzuki saw a flicker of surprise in visored eyes. Further proof that the _shikigami_ knew more than he was telling.   
  
"You know, I know you do, Touda. Maybe you doubt it, but you heard something. The other day, when you got so distracted around Suzaku. You heard something you thought was important enough to ignore Suzaku. It was the Makai, wasn't it? They had to be talking about something important if it was enough to distract you from her. Dammit, Touda, why didn't you tell me?! Tell me what they said!"   
  
"Asato . . . you have no idea what you're asking. . . ."   
  
Touda pushed himself out of his chair, crossing the living space in a straight line for the door. But Tsuzuki wasn't about to let the snake god walk out on him.   
  
"No. You aren't walking out on me, Touda. Tell me."   
  
"Asato," Touda sighed, not turning away from the door, "don't do this. Please. Trust me."   
  
"How can I just let this go when you're lying to me?" the _shinigami_ demanded, hurt warring with anger in his eyes. Not that Touda could see him, with his stubborn insistence on facing away. Heavy metal claws sank into the dark walnut wood of the doorframe, Touda's posture growing progressively more rigid as he waged a battle within himself. The decorative molding of the jamb was already cracking, threatening to break off completely if the claws sank any deeper into the wood beneath.   
  
"I am not lying," Touda muttered, left hand still digging into the door jamb. "I have not once lied to you, Master, not from the moment I swore myself to you. I could no more do so than I could disobey your orders. But I suppose my saying that means little, as you do not trust me, though I would ask what I have done in these six months that would make you doubt me. Or was it that you never trusted me, even then? Was it not trust then, that caused you to summon me as your executioner, but rather arrogant presumption?"   
  
Tsuzuki didn't know how to respond to Touda's accusations. He had called for the hellsnake, knowing that only Touda would obey his final command. Only Touda's hellfires had the power to kill him and bound to him as the snake god was. . . . He had been selfish then, thinking only of a way to end his pain and not caring for how anyone else would react.   
  
"How can you say that? After everything that's happened between us, how can you say that? After what I've done for you, for us, defending you to all of them, bringing you here. . . ."   
  
The hurt words tumbled out of his mouth, surprising even Tsuzuki. Perhaps he'd had the words after all.   
  
There was a loud snap as the jamb's molding registered it's final protest of Touda's abuse, cracking from lintel to floor and breaking off the frame. For a fraction of a second, Touda appeared genuinely startled, his claws retracting from the underlying timber. Then the mask of cold indifference slid back into place, only his head turning to gaze at Tsuzuki over the pauldron with slitted eyes.   
  
"Perhaps you should consider paying closer attention to your own words when you speak, Master. If you have no further need of me, I am going for a walk."   
  
"Touda. . . ."   
  
But it was a weak protest at best and he didn't offer any further resistance as Touda walked out into the growing darkness. _Nice going_, he scolded himself with a sigh. He hadn't intended to insult the _shikigami_, he'd just wanted to know what the Makai could possibly want with his partner.   
  
_If it's even the Makai_, his conscience reminded him. _You could be completely wrong about this. It's probably Muraki, like we thought from the very beginning. After all, what possible interest could the demon world have in Hisoka. Well, aside from being Kurosaki, but . . . that's never been an issue before. Why now?_   
  
"You're getting old, Asato," he muttered to himself, flopping down on the couch. "Jumping at shadows. Imagining the worst. You can't even let yourself have a restful vacation. . . ."   
  
  
  
Touda stormed out of the cabin, boots crunching on the gravel walk as he headed for a nearby rocky overlook. Fifty paces and he'd reached his destination, the trees thinning naturally to afford him a better view of the valley below. A vast stretch of virgin forest, the canopy set ablaze by the sinking of the red sun. It looked innocent, pure, but Touda could see through the facade to the node of darkness that lurked within. He wondered if Byakko even knew about it, but only briefly; what the wind god did or did not know about the valley didn't matter. Only the power mattered and his claws clicked against each other as his hands balled into fists. He could feel it, a darkness that fairly begged him to feed on it, to grow strong and strike out at all who would oppose him.   
  
_No_, he told himself, turning away even from the view of it. _I will not walk down that path again. It holds nothing for me. My place is where he wills it, for what remains of his life._   
  
He managed a couple of footsteps, then stopped. The dark node felt like it was calling to him, pleading with him to drink his fill. Touda knew full well he couldn't do that; to take that much power would only make it that much harder not to use it on something. The same wilderness that sheltered him from the temptations of lashing out against the rest of the twelve also left him with few reasonable targets for the anger that simmered under the surface.   
  
_Still . . . just a taste couldn't hurt. . . ._   
  
Turning back towards the node far below, Touda reached out into the air, his fist unclenching as he began to draw on the well of dark energy. The essance that was the very fabric of darkness, the common link of all those born of the dark side, rushed through him as it hadn't in thousands of years. Every sense was suddenly sharp and completely clear, burning with the power he was pulling into himself.   
  
And then, like a hammer's blow, it was suddenly gone, leaving him open and exposed. He mentally scrambled to stop the draw, but not before golden fire seared into his very soul.   
  
**_::Touda! Do you dare defy Me?::_**   
  
His head was ringing with the displeasure . . . no, the _wrath_ of the Golden Emperor, his senses burning with the great dragon's ire. Only his innate defiance gave him the clarity and temerity to speak out in indignant rebellion.   
  
"No prohibition was laid against drawing on the nodes!"   
  
**_::Your insolence may have amused in the past, but the terms of your probation are clear. ANY attempt to rise in defiance against the new peace will not be tolerated.::_**   
  
"I was doing nothing of the sort!" he growled back, annoyed that the dragon wouldn't even show himself. "Drawing power is not proof of intent to use it for ill, dammit. Do you really think I'm stupid enough to think that you wouldn't notice if I rekindled the war? Do you really think that, with all the restraints on me, I even _could_? Do you think that I _want_ to go back to that damn dungeon?!"   
  
Silence greeted his challenge, a silence sullied by the pounding of his head. But the lack of counter argument was enough to send a sliver of vindication through him and that was almost enough to soothe singed senses.   
  
**_::You should not be here.::_**   
  
"Is that the best you can do?" he snorted. Surely the great dragon could summon a more extensive lecture than that.   
  
**_::Leave this place now and I will . . . overlook your disobedience, hell-servant.::_**   
  
"I'll leave when Tsuzuki does. Or have you forgotten that you bound me to his will?" Touda taunted. "And I have never once bowed to the dreadlords of the Makai."   
  
**_::I have not forgotten. Neither have I forgotten that you have betrayed all of GenSouKai in the past because of your greed. You will bring about his ruin.::_**   
  
"Perhaps, but not today. Nor tomorrow. Nor the next day. Nor the next. Nor, indeed, any of the days after, unless he asks it of me. If his death could be called ruin and yes, I will kill him if he asks it. Even if it damns me for all eternity. That is his right."   
  
**_::You've been collared. . . .::_**   
  
"Of course I have. You ordered this damn thing put on me."   
  
**_::You who, even in your defeat, would not bow to Me, now submits totally to a mere _shinigami_? I would not have thought such a thing possible. . . .::_**   
  
Touda remained grimly silent, unwilling to confirm what they both knew to be the truth. Why should he when it would only demean him further?   
  
**_::Why are you here, Touda?::_**   
  
"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answers?"   
  
**_::Why touch the node at all?::_**   
  
"Why do you even care? I suppose you'll modify the terms of my probation, forbid me from touching them as well."   
  
**_::Should I? Or can you control yourself? No, Touda, I will not forbid it. Already, you have resisted once. Perhaps I should not have doubted your resistance to the promises of dark destruction. Someone must keep the balance amidst those who serve him. Better you than one of your former comrades.::_**   
  
For a brief moment, Touda thought the Golden Emperor would explain, but instead the presence simply vanished back into the ether. Touda returned to the overlook, perching on an old tree stump; he had no desire to return to the cabin before his mind had stopped burning from the dragon's wrath. And there was something else, something he didn't want to bring any closer to Tsuzuki than he already had. As he watched the final descent of the sun, he felt the proximity of entities he had not felt since before his imprisonment.   
  
"Massster returnsss?"   
  
"No," he murmured to the gathering darkness.   
  
"Massster is bound. But Massster drew the power, drew usss to him. Doesss Massster want usss to free him?"   
  
"No," he repeated, visored eyes drifting across the dome of the sky as he avoided looking into the shadows around him. He didn't need to see the chaos-spawn to know they were there, didn't care to know how many his momentary indiscretion had called.   
  
"Doesss Massster want usss to burn thisss foressst?"   
  
"No."   
  
"There isss immortal blood near. Want usss to kill it?"   
  
"No!" he growled, suddenly rising to his feet and glaring at the shadow-wraiths. "Do not lay one _breath_ on him!"   
  
"Asss Massster wishesss," the wraith-speaker demured, the darkness flickering in submission like a groveling dog. "How may we ssserve, Massster?"   
  
"Leave me and seek not to return."   
  
"Massster . . . doesss not want usss?"   
  
"You offer me nothing of value," he muttered, turning away from the wraiths and crossing his arms over his chest. They had served him well in the war, seeding terror and chaos, but their power no longer interested him. He wanted only to be rid of them before he returned to _his_ master.   
  
"What isss it Massster ssseeksss? An enemy'sss corpssse? The sssecretsss of thossse ssstinking demonsss? The hiding placesss of the nodesss? Tell usss, and we will get it for you, Massster."   
  
The shadows seethed and cackled, the wraiths pleased with their own perceived cleverness. The sound had once made him smile, but now it only turned his stomach.   
  
"I seek your _absence_," he snarled.   
  
"But then . . . why did Massster sssummon usss?"   
  
"It was a miscalculation, that is all."   
  
"Well . . . if Massster isss sssure. . . ."   
  
"I . . . wait, what demon secrets do you know?"   
  
"None yet, Massster," the wraith-speaker hissed, "but if you want, we can find their sssecretesss. Ssstinking demonsss, alwaysss ruining our sssport. . . ."   
  
Touda had no reason to use the wraiths to find out what had become of the Kurosaki boy; finding the young _shinigami_ would mean Tsuzuki would return to Meifu, return to his partner. Return to working closely, some would say intimately, with the one person Touda could consider a true rival. In time, Rikugou and Kouchin would find the boy without his help, if anything he learned from the chaos-spawn could even be considered such.   
  
But if he learned something valuable . . . it would make Tsuzuki happy.   
  
"Find out the Makai's interest in the _shinigami_, Kurosaki Hisoka. But come no closer to the cabin than this point. Any who approach closer will be destroyed by my hand. Understood?"   
  
"We hear and obey, Massster."   
  
The shadows lessened as the wraiths dispersed on their appointed task. He waited to be sure that they were all gone before returning to the cabin. Tsuzuki was huddled on the couch, sleeping fitfully and shivering despite the three blankets piled around him. Smiling in spite of himself, Touda carried his sleeping master into the bedroom, reassured when the man's restlessness calmed. It would be several hours before any of the wraiths would return. In the mean time, he would tend to Tsuzuki's needs, as he should have done from the very first. Perhaps it would be enough of an apology until he actually had something to offer.   
  
He laid down beside his sleeping master and drew the man against his chest, an involuntary smile tugging at his mouth as the man nestled against him more comfortably. Touda was taking a risk, using the creatures at all; someone might misinterpret his meaning. But if they could deliver the information he wanted, then it would be worth it. 


End file.
